News Releases

The Columbia Fire Department was recently presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award for its fire prevention accomplishments in 2015 by the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) Fire Research and Education Foundation in partnership with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. The award was announced by H. Butch Browning, President of the NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation.

“When we hear the fire truck coming down the street and see its lights, we know firefighters are responding to someone in trouble. What we don’t know is that these unsung heroes are doing a lot of things behind the scenes that save lives,” said David Miller, Assistant Vice President of Special Investigations at Grinnell Mutual. “The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention programs that have been proven to save lives year after year.”

Since 1994, the Life Safety Achievement Award has recognized local fire prevention efforts that have contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires. The Columbia Fire Department is one of 160 fire departments across the United States to receive the award this year for recording zero fire deaths in 2015 or reducing fire deaths by at least 10 percent during the year. In addition, award recipients documented active and effective fire prevention programs as well as a clear commitment to reducing the number of house fires in the community.

Although residential fires in the U.S. account for only 20 percent of all fires, they result in 80 percent of all fire deaths. The NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation is committed to reducing that number.

“Experience tells us that fire prevention activity and public education can significantly reduce life and property loss from residential fires,” Browning said. “Prevention and education are very cost effective compared to the traditional approach of relying on fire suppression. The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention efforts and encourages them to continually improve upon those efforts.”

About NASFM Fire Research & Education Foundation

The NASFM Fire Research & Education Foundation is a public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries. The Foundation advocates the use of residential fire sprinklers, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and teaching people fire-safe behavior. The Foundation assists fire departments with implementing residential sprinkler/smoke alarm programs on a local basis. The Foundation’s partners include the United States Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and private industry/associations with an interest in and commitment to residential fire safety.

About Grinnell Mutual

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, in business since 1909, provides reinsurance for farm mutual insurance companies and property and casualty insurance products through more than 1,600 independent agents in 12 Midwestern states. Grinnell Mutual is the 123rd largest property-casualty insurance company in the United States and the largest primary reinsurer of farm mutual companies in North America.

COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT RANKS BEST IN STATE
Only Community in Tennessee to receive a Class 1 ISO Rating

At a press conference held in Columbia’s Fire Station No. 1, Columbia Fire Chief Lee Bergeron and City Manager
Tony Massey shared that the community’s most recent evaluation by the Insurance Services Office (ISO)
resulted in their “Public Protection Classification” (PPC) rating being upgraded from Class 3 to Class 1. “Today,
we are announcing to the community, what we already know, that Columbia has one of the finest fire
departments not only in Tennessee, but in the nation as a whole” stated Columbia City Manager Tony Massey,
“the efforts by the Columbia Fire Department, Columbia Power and Water System (CPWS), and E-911 cannot be
overstated”.

“Not only is this a first in Columbia’s history, but we are the only Class 1 fire department in Tennessee,” stated
Chief Bergeron. Columbia becomes one of 97 communities in the nation, representing less than one percent of
all departments in the U.S., to receive a Class 1 ISO rating. This prestigious rating indicates an exemplary ability
to respond to fires. The City of Columbia’s rating is based on three factors: 1) the Columbia Fire Department’s
emergency communications systems, which provide the means for the department to receive and respond to
fire alarms, 2) the fire department’s response and initial attack capabilities (including an evaluation of
equipment, operations, and geographic distribution of fire companies, 3) and the community’s water supply
system.

City Manager Tony Massey, Columbia Fire Chief Lee Bergeron, Executive Director Wes Kelley of Columbia Power
and Water Systems, and Maury County E-911 Director Mark Gandee shared how various improvements over the
last five years in emergency communications, fire services, and water supply infrastructure have succeeded in
lowering the community’s overall risk for fire-related losses. Wil Evans, President of the Maury County Chamber
and Economic Alliance, thanked city officials and commented on the benefit that the new rating will have on
industrial recruitment and business retention efforts.

The City of Columbia Fire Department (CFD) was first founded in 1868 with volunteers. Today, the Columbia Fire
Department’s has grown to protect nearly 35,000 residents within an approximately 30 square mile area. A full-
time, dedicated staff of 90 paid fire-fighters. CFD’s Fire Suppression division operates 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-
week, out of five strategically placed fire stations in the City.

ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments, insurance
regulators, and others by providing information about risk. ISO collects and evaluates a community’s fire
suppression capabilities and assigns a “Public Protection Classification” (PPC) number to the community. These
ratings, a number from 1 to 10, are a valuable indicator of a community’s capacity to mitigate future fire losses.
Class 1 represents an exemplary fire suppression program, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression
program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria, which is based on nationally accepted standards.

The City of Columbia was last evaluated by ISO in 2008 and was recognized then as a Class 3 community.
For more additional information, please contact Assistant Chief Ty Cobb (931) 698-5372.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Columbia Fire Department 2014 Life Safety Achievement Award

The Columbia Fire Department was recently presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award for its fire prevention accomplishments in 2014 by the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) Fire Research and Education Foundation in partnership with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. The award was announced by H. Butch Browning, President of the NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation.

“When we hear the fire truck coming down the street and see its lights, we know firefighters are responding to someone in trouble. What we don’t know is that these unsung heroes are doing a lot of things behind the scenes that save lives,” said David Miller, Assistant Vice President of Special Investigations at Grinnell Mutual. “The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention programs that have been proven to save lives year after year.”

Since 1994, the Life Safety Achievement Award has recognized local fire prevention efforts that have contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires. The [Fire Department] is one of 97 fire departments across the United States to receive the award this year for recording zero fire deaths in 2014 or reducing fire deaths by at least 10 percent during the year. In addition, award recipients documented active and effective fire prevention programs as well as a clear commitment to reducing the number of house fires in the community.

Although residential fires in the U.S. account for only 20 percent of all fires, they result in 80 percent of all fire deaths. The NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation is committed to reducing that number.

“Experience tells us that fire prevention activity and public education can significantly reduce life and property loss from residential fires,” Browning said. “Prevention and education are very cost effective compared to the traditional approach of relying on fire suppression. The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention efforts and encourages them to continually improve upon those efforts.”

About NASFM Fire Research & Education FoundationThe NASFM Fire Research & Education Foundation is a public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries. The Foundation advocates the use of residential fire sprinklers, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and teaching people fire-safe behavior. The Foundation assists fire departments with implementing residential sprinkler/smoke alarm programs on a local basis. The Foundation’s partners include the United States Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and private industry/associations with an interest in and commitment to residential fire safety.

About Grinnell Mutual

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, in business since 1909, provides reinsurance for farm mutual insurance companies and property and casualty insurance products through more than 1,600 independent agents in 12 Midwestern states. Grinnell Mutual is the 117th largest property-casualty insurance company in the United States and the largest primary reinsurer of farm mutual companies in North America.